Abrotanum

Volume I — Main text

Artemisia Abrotanum. I, Pro^ings.^^i. Dr. A. M.Cushing, well, but subject to itching papillary eruption on legs, and of habitually loose bowels, took, of a ti net. prepared by maceration from entire fresh plant, on Feb, 6th, 1866, at 10.30 p.m., 6 drops. In 5 m., head felt ai> if squeezed on temporal regions. Slight nauseai much eructation of flatus, 7th, took 8 drops at 1035 p.m. 8th, at 10,30 p.m., 15 drops. 9th^ » p.m., hurried desire to urinate after stool. 10.30 p.m., 15 drops, loth^ 1 1 p.m., 20 drops. Frightful dream? ; awoke frightened and trembling, nth. •^Bowels coJitive for third time in his lite when well, a p.m., 15 drops. Lame^ aching pain on inside of r. knee, then on outside of 1. knee, tith, 10 p.m., 40 drops. Soon after, pain in L, then in r. leg at middle of tibia i pain and fulness of head y aching pain in ankles and feet, worse on outside of I- ankle. Old eruption feels sore, violent pricking itching, extending^ to head and arms. 1 3th to ifith.^Pain in ankles and kneei i feet lame and paintul. 15th and i6th.^ — Severe aching pain in both axillae, as if sore wai forming. i6th, tf.35 p.m., 60 drops. Soon after heard noise like humming of bee ; walked round room to find it. When in bed it bounded like persons talking in distance; on listening intently it disappeared, but would return as ne turned his nund from it. Itching followed, then dartmg pains in different parts of body, most in lower lobe of both lung%, and in legs below knees, 1 7th, 6 a.m., urgent desire for stool j loose stool ; another at 7 a.m. 9 a.m., seized, when riding, with lameness and aching of 1. arm above elbow on outer and under side ; lame all d. 17th, 10.30 p.m., 5odrops. tSth, 9 p.m., 100 drops. In 10 m. nausea, pricking pain r. side of chest, pain m 1. lung, with weak, numb feeling of arms and limbs. 19th. — Awoke with severe pain in L temple, continued all forenoon, with sore feeling in all limbs, mostly in joints ; also in lower portion of 1. lung ; mouth hot and dry } felt sick all forenoon, better in open air. In afternoon severe pains \ obliged to lie down ; very sleepy i could not sleep; not able to attend to patients. E,, better, 1 a»m. (?) while riding, very severe pain in 1. arm above elbow. Frightful dreams of mad dog, &c. On waking, very lame, worse in back j muscular soreness on motion, severe pains in back ot neck, shoulders, r. side of chest, and limbs ; r. hip so lame a^ to cause limping for some time. Bowels seemed costive, with loose stool. Severe pain all d, in side and back of neck, shoulders, limbs, back, and hips ; arms and handi felt numb. Sensation as if breathing hot air, continued 1 d. In e. eyes smart, pain in I. eye, could not open it for several seconds. Uncommonly poor appetite, iist* — Bowels more costive than for years. Pain in base of both lungs through d.^ with

darting pam in limbs and ankles ; headache ; pain in both hips, severe in r. hip a: thigh. 9.30 p»m., natural stool. 10 ^»m., 500 drops of tst (aqueous) dil. In 50 strange pulling sensation of muscles of r. side of neck beneath angle of jaw, followt by amiost intolerable itching of a corn on second toe of 1, foot. iind. — Bow-d natural. Aching pain all d, across hips ; kg* and feet lame and painfiiK tongue and mouth all d. E.^ nausea, burning, and sourness of stomach* 10 p,m,, 1000 drops I St dil. In 5 ro. seized with trembling all over. Nausea and m>ui eructations; pain just below heart, followed by crawling scniation and enictattoni| then pain and heat in bowels ism. after taking med. The raising of wind an trembling continue. Feels too warm in cool room. Pulse quick ; wind nishc5 out of r, ear. j watery discharge from nose ; desire to urinate ; pain in testicles and back. At midnight got out of bed, walked round room ; bowels bloated so much, it wa* difficult to walk or bend, seems as If bowels could be kept from passing out at anus only by keeping legs close together. Very severe itching of corn on I. foot. Restless sleep, with springing up, and constant jumping and thrashing of arms, tyrd^ 6 a.m., very urgent desire for stool ; 3 loose stools in forenoon, i in c. Pain all d. shoulders, arms, and hips* } r. knee and ankle weak -, very nervous ; back quite Ian Very sudden pain in legs 5 pain in region of liver and kidneys of sick, sore, faint, mcxpressible nature, very peculiar, almost amounting to fainting. Unable to walk on street. Sleepy all d. ; neat in stomach j raises wind tasting of plant. Emptio nearly all gone. 10 p.m., bowels bloated and painful. Stomach very sour. i4tl| 6,^0 a,m., urgent desire for stool ; loose stool. Forenoon, weak and fame j pain shoulders, r, hand lame, Poor appetite. During proving, often drops rcinii uoc ficiously while driving, a 5th. — R. knee lame and painful. 7 a.m,, soft 9 a.m., stool with much straining; sensation as if it was large and indurated^ though quite the reverse. Mouth dry and sore. z6ih. — Restless sleep ; mouth sore and dry*. 6.30. urgent call and loose stool. Back lame and painful. Eruption gone. E.. ftorene^ of head of I. fibula, so severe as to cause lameness when walking at three different time 17th. — Very restless nighty with heat and pain at epigastrium, NaturaJ stool ; sitgh itching of limbs, but no eruption. In forenoon, darting pains in various pans of th _ body, most severe in r. arm, above and near elbow joint. Sore mouth, with increased saliva, more in n. Both legs lame and painful, from hips to knees; they feel very sore, but are not tender to touch. Appetite poor. Afternoon, pain above r. clbov E,, sore pain in knees, first r. then 1. 4 limbs very weak ; r. arm lame and we Yawning and eructation all day. Burning through r, side of chest ; difficult breathinj 1 1 p.m., severe sore pain just above 1. elhow ^ both hips and legs so lame it was diiT cult to walk. Mouth quite sore^ confined mostly to gums near L upper mala »8th, — Unrefrc^hing sleep ; on waking, both arms and both legs and fi^et very lame a painful, but relieved after motion. In } h. r, hand lame and useless. Chilly tn vet] warm room, lo a.m., I. hand as lame j he could not sit till. ii a.m., both kne lame, j 1.30 a.m>, ankles and legs to knees so painful he could not sit still whj examining a patient. 5 p.m., heavy pain in lumbar region, extending to both testicle £., both hg^ weak, both hands painful, and so lame as hardly to be u»ed. Sormc of mouth increases, March 1st. — Mouth better; pain in both knees. Hands painfd and sore all day; handles everything with difficulty. Pain in back and testiclef 2nd. — Slept better J on waking early <iharp pain tn 1. shoulder; in i h. pain tn L elbow and r, hand j severe and sore pain in both lungs, Pain in 1. hypochondriac region, with eructation of large quantities oi flatus. Pain in r. elbow all forenoo ~ darting pain in various parts of body and limbs. Mouth better^ bowels natur;i urine profuse. 3rd. — On waking both shoulders very lame and sore. Feels ai^ tt both arms were tied to body. In } h, pain is all in arms just above elbowi. After noon, pain in back, hips^ and knee*. E,, belching of large quantities of wind taking of salt mackerel, though none eaten for months; cannot eat it. Pain in bowel* a5 n., with several stools. 4th. — Joints all sore and lame. 5th and 6th. — Improving ; during proving lay very straight in bed (usually lies with feet drawn up). Small scratch made a large sore. After proving old eruption returned, but not io severe « before, and was easily cured by rhus tox* loo and has not returned, (FabL Ma^i, Horn. Mid. Sqc.^ iii, 19.)

1. Dr, Gatchell proved tinct (how U not suted) on two ladic* with f^Uowing results :

a. In the 6r&t, — \ h., numb sensation in fingers ; ^ h.j dull aching in all linj^en |

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I h., joints stiff", with prickling sensation. Had fugitive pains in shouldeir all n.» could not sleep for them. Next d. piles appeared, and became worse as rheumatic pains abated, with frequent inclination to stool, hardly anything but blood being passed. Prover also reports,— soreness of scalps especially L side ; urine scanty.

b. The second was gloomy and desponding ^ ill-natured, irritable, and violent j exceedingly peeviiih, feeling a* if she would like to do something cruel \ thinks her brain is i^oftening, having feebleness and dulness of mind, taciturnity, and no capacity for thinking. After ceasing drug was excited, loquacious, like shouting, good* humoured and happy. HeacT was weak, so that she could not hold it up ; converttion or mental effort caufied sense of fatigue in L brain especially, and there was sensation of creeping chills along cerebral surface, with pricking sensation j also itching of scalp. She had scraping in throat j gnawing hunger, craving bread and milk, and — after ceasing drug^burning in stomach as from acid; weak, sinking feeling in bowels and colicky pains ; darting and twitching in ovaries, latter extending to back, making it feel weak ; raw feeling in respiratory tract caused by cold air, sudden hoarseness, weak voice ; arms very weak» with aching from shoulders to elbows; very weak and disposed to lie prone. She remained very much relaxed and incapable, with weak sickly feeling for many d,, and internal trembling when excited. ((/. Statts Mid, and Surg, Journ.y v, 191*^